Subject: (urth) Vance and Shea

From: Yves Meynard <meynard at videotron.ca>
Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2007 01:49:14 +0000

Aaron writes:

> Also, the other day, I read about the author Michael Shea and how he
> wrote a sequel to The Eyes of the Overworld.  He then went on to  
> write a few
> books about a character named Nifft the Lean who is said to be  
> Cugel-esque.
> I am intrigued and will probably try to locate a copy of this Nifft  
> the
> Lean.  Hopefully it will be worthwhile.  Any of you guys read  
> Michael Shea?

Shea's a very interesting writer. The books about Nifft are  
impressive pieces of baroque fantasy, and the sequel to _The Eyes of  
the Overworld_ is quite amusing. It starts off as a very convincing  
pastiche, but then Shea's own writerly nature comes seeping through  
the cracks and the book becomes very Nifft-like at the end -- not  
that I'm complaining.

I reread Vance pretty regularly. He was one of my first great  
literary loves, and the only one who's kept all his glamour as I've  
aged. Amusing to think the influence he's had on Wolfe when you  
consider Vance's cynical take on religion.

Yves Meynard

---

From: aaron <aaronsingleton at gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2007 02:07:38 +0000

Perhaps Wolfe was influenced by Vance before he converted to Catholicism.
If I recall correctly, Wolfe said in Castle of the Otter that he read The
Dying Earth upon its release in 1950, before he married and converted, I
believe.  If Wolfe only discovered Vance today, I wonder what his opinion
would be?
     I agree with you about Vance's glamour never fading.  His work is truly
timeless.  I hope he is re-discovered in the future and that his work is
shown the appreciation and respect it deserves.
     I am glad to hear that you think Shea to be a worthwhile read.  I will
certainly order the first Nifft book and see how it goes.  I might even go
to the Baen site right now and order the ebook version of the Complete
Nifft.  Hmm.  It is tempting.  Too bad my checking acct. balance is
not presently sufficient to cover the paltry four dollars and ninety-nine
cents they are asking for the ebook.  I shall await payday anxiously! =)

On 6/4/07, Yves Meynard <meynard at videotron.ca> wrote:
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